


No Turning Around

by CrystalCaverns



Category: Starfighter (Comic)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-20
Updated: 2015-11-21
Packaged: 2018-05-02 14:50:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5252276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrystalCaverns/pseuds/CrystalCaverns
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The safehaven Alliance was rumored throughout the whole journey. It's been two years since they slept warmly in their beds without a care in the world. Alliance was supposed to be safe...but it isn't.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Fresh Start

**Author's Note:**

> I present to thee my first Starfighter fic. I don't know how well this will go but hey, let's try it.

They'd heard about this place before, but they'd assume they never find it. It was a false hope. These signs that told passers about Alliance. It was supposed to be safe. Safe, warm, have food. A shelter. But then signs started having x's over them, signs messed up, torn up. They had to take a chance. Ten miles was something they could sacrifice.

But god when they saw it, and saw people on the roof...god they had to be dreaming. This place was still here. It looked...safe. “Hold it!” One person yells up on the roof, pointing his gun towards them. He sees a red dot on his chest and barely growls. “I'll fucking shoot you, don't think I won't! More food for the dead. Step back!” They listen- they have to. They'd rather get on these people's good sides, because if there was a chance they'd get in here, they'd take it. It was getting colder. A cabin in the middle of the woods with drafts and cracked walls wouldn't keep them warm. They'd be safe, but they'd likely freeze to death. There were rumors that this place had electricity. A generator, lots of gas to keep it running, food to feed everybody. But everyone wondered what the catch was. “Drop your weapons, and we'll send people down to check you out.” The person calls, and one by one, they drop their weapons. However, the smallest one kept staring at the long knife in his hand. He already felt weird without it.

“Goddammit Deimos, fucking drop it,” one of them growls as he takes the knife and puts it down on the ground with the rest of the weapons. An assault rifle, a machete, a sniper rifle, and a pistol. Deimos' hand felt fucking cold without the knife, as bad as that sounded.

It wasn't even a minute later when the front doors open. Three men approach them, one they'd assumed was the leader of this place. Two men were at his side, both armed and both with their fingers on the trigger. They likely wouldn't hesitate to shoot them...especially if one of them made any sudden moves. Keeler decided he'd do the talking. He didn't trust Cain, who would likely yell, and Encke needed to keep an open eye. Helios would probably say the wrong thing and Deimos...well. “Well...a group like you, I'm surprised you've made it this far.” Was that an insult? Cain looks at the two men at his side. One looked like he'd never held a gun in his entire life before this and Cain decided he liked this one. He had eyes like a deer, wide and round. This kid might have been more afraid of the group of people in front of him, and he was the one with the gun. The other one looked calm, like none of this was happening around him. Yes, his finger was on the trigger, but the gun at his side. Like he could trust these people, and he even gave them a smile. It was clear that he probably wasn't one of the guards. He looked too sweet.

“Hayden. I'm one of the men who run this community. And these men are Abel and Selene. They're my right hand men.”

_Is that so you don't have to use it on yourself?_

God, Cain, do not actually say that, they will shoot you before you can blink.

“We only have a few open spots left...wanted to save those for women and children. Tell me why we should let you into our doors. What use can you be to us?” Hayden looks between all of them, and he decided they were a diverse group of people. “You have someone who's sick.” He finally states, and he's staring at Keeler. How could he tell so easily? Did he really look that fragile? Or was it because he was leaning on Encke? Probably the latter.

“Yes...we do.” Keeler answers; he hated that word. Sick. This wasn't sick. Sick is something you could get over eventually. This was a plague. And it would probably never go away. He wouldn't die from a bite or bleeding out. This...thing would be the one to kill him.

“Are you bit?”

“No.”

“We have a Doctor. He could look you over..” The smaller one says, his voice was quiet and he seemed to shrink back when he spoke. Hayden was glaring back at him and, shit did he say the wrong thing? Shit. To avoid confrontation from the leader he just steps back and looks down at the ground. He wanted to get fed tonight. Fuck. He feels a hand on his shoulder and looks up to the taller male, who was trying to simply comfort him so he didn't get too over worked. He appreciated that.

“Well, ah..” Keeler stops to think for a moment...what did they have to offer? “Deimos, the one at the end is one of the quietest and is extremely useful. He could cover himself in innards, walk through a herd, knife in hand, and make it back alive. He keeps his head, and I've never seen him get overwhelmed by the situation.” Deimos looks from Keeler to Hayden and just nods.

“Boy you sure don't talk.” Deimos' eyes widen a little, and then Cain's stepping in front of them. Protective as always, Hayden notices a weakness in that. They wouldn't leave each other in a time of crisis. That was a note to take.

Keeler looks between both of them and takes this as an opportunity, “Cain is our eyes. He likes sniper rifles and takes most watches at night. I've never seen him miss a shot, or miss a group of dead coming near us. I think he has another set of eyes on the back of his head.” “Reminds me of our Abel. He stays up on the roof most times.” Hayden looks back at the smaller one, the one Cain liked. Abel, huh? He looked like that name fit. Abel looks at Cain with a shy but quiet smile.

“Encke um-”

“What about you? You the leader of this group? You sure talk like one.” Keeler steps back a little and then shakes his head.

“We don't have a leader.” He answers again and then stands up straight. They've never had to make decisions like that, and they never fought over anything. They worked together...they didn't need a leader.

“Surprised you made it this long like this.” This shit again. “Well...I suppose we could make some room for you folks. Follow me. Abel, Selene. Take their backs.” The two just nod and go behind them, holding their guns up to their backs. Now they really weren't afraid to shoot them.

Abel nudges Deimos with his rifle, because he was the only one not moving. Deimos glares back at him, and Cain grabs onto him, “Leave him alone.” He growls at Abel, who held the gun up more, “Get fucking moving.” He sure talked tough for his hands shaking while he was holding the gun.

“You folks will be in the I Wing, in column 12.” Hayden was talking but they weren't sure if people were actually listening. Only Keeler really was but he was busy looking around at their surroundings. There was people walking around, pushing carts, loading boxes. Loading guns or just sitting around talking. They knew that they'd be working in here but maybe/hopefully everything would end up okay. This place used to be a hospital it looked like. It had to be. The doors to the stairs were swung open with a hand drawn map on it. The I Wing was on the fourth floor, and Column 12 was the room 412. There were cots on the floor, enough for all of them. “Abel is the leader of this Wing. You answer to him, and you listen to what he says. Selene is the leader of Wing Y, at the end of the sixth floor. If Abel is not around, you go find Selene. If Selene isn't around...well then you come to me.” The way Hayden made it sound, if you couldn't find Abel or Selene there would be hell to pay. The way those two reacted proved a theory correct.

Once left alone, they just kind of sat there. They didn't speak, they didn't try to get settled, they just sat there. “We made it...” Helios mutters, and Encke looks up from staring at his lap.

“We made it but we aren't safe. We don't know these people.” Encke whispers as they hear feet approaching the door again. There's a knock and Cain opens it to find Abel on the other side of the door. He's holding a clipboard and now he looks much more comfortable without a gun in his hands.

Abel takes a few steps in the room and files through a few pages. “Um...I'm just here to issue your positions. Starting tomorrow afternoon you'll all report to your areas and learn the ropes of your new areas. I don't want to hear if you don't like your position, most of us don't like them but tough shit.” He sounded like he was reading off an index card. “Cain and Deimos, you'll meet me up on the roof and begin watches. You'll let us know if you see any of the dead coming, if you see people coming near us, things like that.” Deimos shifts uncomfortably, he didn't like the idea of that.

“Keeler, you'll find Ethos and begin loading magazines for our weapons. He's quite nice, you'll like him. Encke and Helios you will go to the storage wing and help load and unload boxes.” He finishes reading them off and then looks between those in the room. “Any questions?” They all stay quiet. God he wished he was better at talking to people. He'd always figured that he wasn't very good at talking to people, much less be put in charge of a Wing.

“Well...sleep tight. Lights out in an hour.” They'd just realized that there was actually lights on. That their eyes just weren't used to the dark, there was actual light. The door shuts again, and they all let out a tiny sigh. Ah shit.

“Well...we should get some sleep. Feels like we have a long day ahead of us.” Encke finally breaks the silence. They all nod and curl up on a cot. The light didn't bother them, in fact they slept even more soundly then they remember. Encke curls up behind Keeler, his arms tightly wrapping around him. At first it was so Keeler would feel safer, but this was the first time when he felt okay. He didn't feel like he would wake up to find the dead at their doorstep. He felt okay.

They were okay.


	2. Alert

This place's form of an alarm was setting of the fire alarm for thirty seconds, and then shutting it off. A loud, clanging sound that would hurt your ears but definitely wake you up. How did that not attract every reanimated corpse for miles? Fuck.

Keeler woke up with a startling noise, his hand going to his chest because he wasn't used to noises like that. A gunshot right next to his ear he could handle. But god he never thought like he'd have to hear one of those again. When he sits up, Encke rolls over and puts the pillow over his head. Keeler found it cute but Deimos was wide awake, sat up on a box and staring out the window. He'd gotten his knife back and Keeler made a mental note to check on that later. The blonde gets up and goes over to Deimos, gently putting a hand on his shoulder,

“Don't let them see that, okay? Just keep it in your pocket.” Deimos just stares at Keeler for a few seconds. He knew this. He just nods in return. Deimos liked the feeling of just being able to hold it. Know that if he needed it, there it was. Keeler straightens up and goes for the door, and that's when Deimos speak up.

“You should really cut your hair...they'll grab it.” His voice is quiet and raspy, but that might have been the only amount of concern he'd shown for anyone else besides Cain. Keeler gently combs his fingers through his hair and sighs. He knew Deimos was right but he didn't want to admit that.

“Maybe you're right. I'll sit on that one...thanks Deimos?” He wouldn't go through with it. But at least Deimos was looking out for them. Maybe.

The halls were quiet outside. Some doors were open, some shut. He could hear the noises of snoring from some of the doors, which only reminded him that this was completely real. There was a sign on the bathroom door

_WATER DOESN'T WORK. USE BOTTLES UNDER SINK._

They waste water like this?

Keeler shakes his head after reading that. He was too tired to think about it right now. But his mind was eased a bit upon seeing labels on the bottles that said ' _RIVER WATER'_. Guess you had to make use with what you had.

He opens a bottle and pours some into his hands, and then splashing it on his face to clear the dirt. He wasn't sure if the brown going down the drain was the water or muck that coated his face. The water smelled god awful, but it got him cleaned off. He could ignore the smell for getting at least a little cleaned up.

“You're one of the new guys, right?” Keeler jumps at the unexpected voice and turns to greet another man. He was tall with his hair slicked back, and his clothes had definitely seen better days. He had cuts and scars along his face and body and he wondered what the hell had happened to him. Keeler's attention was drawn to the eye patch he wore, figuring it could have been worse to have a leg or arm cut off, much less just wearing an eye patch.

“Um..yes. I'm Keeler...and you are..?”

“Praxis. You few enjoy your first night here?”

Keeler feels slightly uncomfortable at the almost glare he was getting. So he just nods and goes along with it, pushing some of the hair away from his face. “Yes. It was nice to be warm for once.” He says, trying to lift some of the uneasy-ness in his voice with a smile. Praxis kind of just looks him up and down for a few seconds, trying to figure out what he'd thought of him. Most people at this point go crazy and are insane this far into the end of the world. But this guy seemed calm, like he had his shit together. He partially admired that, but also wondered how he's kept such a leveled head.

“Well, watch your back while you-”

“Praxis!”

Abel was stood in the doorway with his arms crossed, not looking very happy.

“Don't be terrorizing the new folks. Don't make me go to Cook again.”

Praxis and Abel just stare each other down for a few moments, and then Praxis leaves. He practically storms out, shoving Abel to the side on his way out. The smaller male just rolls his eyes and shuts the door behind him, looking over at Keeler with a tiny frown, “Sorry, Keeler. He isn't really the friendly type to new-comers.” He passes it off like it was just a little kid who'd thrown a tantrum. Keeler was...confused to say the least.

Keeler shakes his head in return, “Oh no, it's fine. I'm going to go make sure nobody fell back asleep, I'll see you later, Abel. Thank you.” He was halfway out the door before he'd finished his sentence.

Back in 412 it seemed like Cain was the only one who had ignored the alarm. When the door swung open, most of them tensed up, thinking that it was some asshole coming to collect them for their assignments. That or that someone was angry that they'd kept the door shut past the alarm, anything like that. But when they saw it was Keeler, they still were quite curious.

“You look like you've seen a ghost.” Encke says as he stands up and goes to Keeler, putting an arm around him. Keeler just stayed silent, thinking things over. “What happened?”

“Some guy in the bathrooms...” Keeler shook his head and then went back over to his backpack to grab the other set of clothes he was carrying. “Said to watch our backs. And then Abel came in, and the guy just stormed off.” He says as he switches shirts, the gross cling of the material not bothering him in the slightest anymore.

“Oh that's fucking comforting!” Cain groans as he sits up, and then there's a loud 'shh!” coming from Helios. “Don't fucking 'shhh' me you piece'a shit.” He says as he looks over at the other. Even with a good nights rest he still wasn't a morning person.

It did seem odd, but it was dismissed a few minutes later when there was chattering outside the doors and the lights turned on in the room. The small group wandered out once they'd all readied themselves, finding everyone settling into their morning routines, everything seeming so normal. Like the whole world just stayed the same and everyone was okay with that. Getting food was something they were thankful for. It wasn't hot, but it wasn't frozen. They were lucky to have eaten at all since the last time about two days ago. Encke made sure that Keeler ate well, because he needed to get his strength back more than any of them. Keeler thought it was very sweet, but Encke had to take care of himself as well instead of always worrying about him.

After they were told to go to their assigned areas, and like a conveyor belt everyone tossed out the cans of food and went down the separate hallways. Helios quickly followed after Encke, the signs saying the storage area was in the basement. Wonderful.

“Hey, isn't that the guy Keeler was talking about?” Helios asks in a whisper as he gently cocks his head towards Praxis.

“Well there's no other people in here with an eyepatch and looks like he's pissed off now, is there?”

“Jesus I was just saying.”

Most of the boxes were crates of ammo. They'd have to pack them into boxes, make sure the magazines weren't broken or anything like that to get sent up to the armory. Occasionally they'd take inventory on the few crates of food laying around, or the big bottles of water in the back. God did this place never have to worry about running dry? Helios wondered for a while how they got so much, if this place had been here since the start, things like that.

Thankfully the armory was only a floor up because the ammo boxes were heavy, even for Encke. The only ones in the armory were Ethos, Keeler, and two other men who's names he didn't catch. But they weren't doing a whole lot to help. Keeler had some initial struggles with the guns and the magazines. He was used to knives, never really finding a time where he needed a gun. Ethos however was extremely helpful when it came how to clean and load one, and the two made small talk while they filled most of the guns. Keeler wanted to ask about the other two, but he wouldn't be so nosey when they were right in the room. He'd save it for when they weren't there.

Finally, up on the roof, Deimos felt like he was never going to get used to holding one of these rifles. Cain had gotten his own back, since he'd modified it himself and he knew how to use it. But Abel was very hesitant on giving it back to say the least.

“So, Princess, how'd someone like you end up a leader around here?” Cain asks as he's sat back against the small wall of the roof. Abel makes a tiny face and then looks down at him with a questioning look,

“The hells that supposed to mean? And my name is Abel in case you forgot.” He sneers and then looks back over into the patch of wood leading up to the entrance. It was a slow day. No dead all morning. But that was okay.

Cain laughs bitterly and stands up, leaning on the wall to look at him. He could tell Abel was trying to avoid eye contact with him. He really had nothing to be afraid of, but he wouldn't just up and say that. Not yet at least. “What I mean is, Princess,” he smirks, “How did a kid like you get put in charge of a group of people? You look like you had an easy life up until the world went to shit. And you're holding your gun wrong. How many times have you had to shoot it?'

“I don't believe that's any of your business,” Abel says, his voice filled with annoyance. He didn't know why this man he'd only met yesterday was asking these questions.

“Aw c'mon, humor me. There's nothin goin on up here, I'm just curious, right myshonok?” Cain asks with that same smirk to his face as he looks over his shoulder at Deimos. Deimos looks back up and him and then Abel, nodding only once before he turns his attention back to the scope. He'd rather be extra careful than to hear his friend making enemies next to each other.

He finally gives up with a groan, “If you must know, Selene, Ethos, and I were with Hayden and the other two when this started. We found the hospital, and we made a community. They knew they could trust me. And then eventually we found more people we could trust to help us run this place. It was just being in the right place at the right time.”

Cain raises an eyebrow as there's a tug on his sleeve. He looks over at Deimos who is pointing down at a group of people coming from the woods. “Uh- Abel?” Cain says and then Abel immediately looks through the sight on his rifle.

“Shit...SELENE.”

Within a few seconds Selene had made his way over, not understanding what had been going on since he was at a different angle. Abel took him a few steps away, so only they would hear each other. “It's Column 3. They must have found them when scouting.” Selene looks back at the ground and then nods,

“Okay. Okay shit, I'll stay here, you go find Bering.”

Abel nods and without a word he's half running back down the stairs to the rest of the building. He could hear Selene back on the roof telling everybody to stay where they were, and that everything was okay. If people actually believed that or not, Abel didn't know.

A meeting was called about an hour later, and attendance was mandatory. If you were caught somewhere else besides there, well you didn't want to sneak around to find out. Everyone by now had heard what happened. Some weren't around for the initial conflict, and some knew this all too well by now. Encke had found Keeler and Ethos with Selene in the back of the room, who just looked like he was deep in thought.

“What's going on...?” Encke asks carefully, he didn't want to step on a nerve if it was a sensitive subject.

“You'll find out...” Selene's words are quiet, almost full of guilt. He'd seen this happen one too many times.

A few minutes later, they're told to quiet down, and Hayden had two other men at his side this time.

“We don't mean to interrupt your day, this will be quick and you'll all be allowed to go about what you were doing in about fifteen minutes.” The man was pacing a bit, obviously doing all of the talking this time. “Most of you have heard what has happened this afternoon. A group of people have returned to us, after wandering astray a couple of months ago. Why anybody would want to leave here..is a mystery to me. We have food, electricity, a place to keep you warm in the winter. We don't understand why these people left. But we are here today...to remind you of what happens when someone disgraces the Alliance.”


End file.
